NFL draft: Whalen to throw for Browns on Sunday

Dan Whalen is pretty sure no one from the Browns will recognize him on Sunday when he's throwing passes in front of Mike Holmgren and Eric Mangini.

As a former Browns media relations intern, that is.

Whalen is pretty sure the Browns know of his exploits as a record-setting quarterback at Case Western Reserve and a first-team Division III All-American on Saturdays last fall.

Advertisement

As a Browns media relations intern on Sundays last fall?

He's not so sure.

"I basically passed out stats in the press box and got quotes in the locker room after the game," said Whalen. "Unless there are some media relations people there, no one will recognize me from last year. But being an intern one year and working out for the Browns the next is a pretty cool story."

The road from obscurity, at least in the eyes of NFL brass, to NFL hopeful continues for the South graduate on Sunday. He's been invited, along with other college prospects from the Cleveland area, to work out for the Browns.

Others invited include Ohio State receiver/punt returner Ray Small of Glenville and Iowa receiver Trey Stross of Avon Lake. Linebacker/defensive end Thaddeus Gibson of Ohio State and Euclid visited the Browns earlier this month.

For Whalen, it's been a busy time since the disappointment has waned from not getting an opportunity to throw at Ohio State's pro day in March.

"Hey, this is the NFL," said Whalen's agent, Ronald Todd. "It's not always fair."

Since then, he's used the opportunity to throw to Kent State draft hopeful Jameson Konz on two separate occasions -- March 25 in front of the Dolphins and Giants and for the Saints on March 30 -- as a way to get exposure. The teams were there to watch Konz, whose impressive workout numbers have him rising on many draft boards, and Whalen gladly took advantage of both opportunities to finally showcase his throwing ability.

"I think both days went well," said Whalen. "I don't think (the teams) expected much out of me, but they all said they were impressed by my arm strength."

The performances have boosted his draft ranking, Todd said. Whalen is now No. 48 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s and Todd McShay's ESPN.com top 50 quarterback rankings, and both project Whalen as a free-agent signee. He's also one of two quarterbacks for the North squad for the inaugural April 17 OhioCollegeFootball.com Senior Bowl in Columbus.

On Sunday, Whalen will run the 40-yard dash (he's been clocked in the mid 4.6s in previous workouts) and participate in some agility drills, then throw for the Browns.